The Washington critic., 1887-01-04
GREELEY'S PROPHECY.
How He OWNED the Present Tendencies Of
Journalism.

A number of years ago | found my
sell In New York with few dollars in
my pocket. l had brought with me
from my New England home letter
of Introduction 10 Horace Greeley,
given me by distinguished American
poetess, but so much had heard of the
savage humors with which one was
liable to be confronted should his pres.
ence happen 10 be illlimed, that / felt
like one who carried q free pass to enter
a lions cage, and the certainty that the
pass would carry me up when once de-
livercd made IL all the more uncom.
Portable in my pocket.
But | finally gathered myself up
and sighting the door of the Tri
buRe office, crossed the street
with firm and steady tread and
the Office boy. who disappeared with it
upstairs. After few awful moments
the lad returned and babe me follow.
l ascended couple of flights of rlckety
stairs and soon reached door which
looked as though 1t might be an en-.
trance to the top loft Of grist mill. |
entered, and as the door closed behind
me, seated myself cautiously upon di.
lapidated chair, for the abiding spirit,
into whose presence l had entered
turned not around nor made any sign
Of recognition.
GREELEY 8 EDITORIAL "DEN."
shall never forget the picture of that
editorial "den"-if that can be called
picture which is thrown together by
the demons of disorder and chaos.
Papers, pamphlets, books, unused
copy, old hats and editorial brio q. .brac
of all descriptions were scattered about
promiscuously. Mr., Grecley's trali.
tional gray coat was flung into the cor.
ner, with his slouch hat resting tran
gully upon it. a generous profusion
of cObwebs and dust forced upon the
VISITORS attention, the conspicuous
absence of broom, soap and toilet furni
ture. Verify, here was the fitting abode
of intellectual Ra,tlebones-the dis
puted realm Of Rhadamanthus and the
Sun God.
The figure, whose brawny back was
turned toward me. was elevated on au
antique chair, the limbs of which
seemed to be holding rivalry with those
of its occupant. Before him was q
desk nearly as high as his shoulders,
on the side of which was pot OF ink,
set in pile of quilts. The paper on
which he wrote was held at vertical
angle. With his great hand graspcd
firmly around the quill US though it
were the lever that moved the world,
he would thrust it into the ink pot and
then with a motion projected from a
level with the eye, he would swing it
across and back on the paper as though
II were a jack plane, I'll! tue sheet was
full. Whoever saw Horace Greeley
swing his Quill in that weird sanctum
witnessed u species of technique"
the like of which was never seen be.
fore in this world and will probably
never be seen again.
gAWhen he had finished the editorial
upon which he was at work, he scram-
bled the sheets together, scrlbblpd out
the headline, and, calling boy, sent
the copy up to the compositors. For
tunately for me, it happened to be his
last Office work for that day and now
my time had come. After reading
over the lady's note, which recon-
mended me to his kindest consideration
as a youth of more promise than eXpe.
iience in the literary world. he turned
TO me, and setting his specs upon his
spacious temples, said: "Well, young
man.
Heavens thought l, now the rest Is
coming. But that which came did not
point Westward, but rather, as subse-
quent experience has since taught, to
the best sense within me.
81 am in ood," he continued, "ln
Difference to my dear friend, Mrs, W.,
to give you my very best advice as to
the advisability of entering upon Jour
nalism as 4 profession. If you have
brains, conscience and independent
creative literary ability my lyice to
you is to keep away from newspapers
and work your level best in patience
till you can make point as magazine
writer, You have then laid the corner
stone of your record, and If you sustain
it the way is certain for you to be rated
for all you are worth in literature. A
newspaper is primarily Il commercial
enterprise, whose proprletors are
engaged In the trade of buy
ing and selling news, and of
furnishing the various members of
society with the means of making
known to each other their wants and
trade facilities. Outside of this il is
iuCltcHlahS u IlcluIgr reform tlpIy
and educational enterprise, but these
latter phases are bound to be largely
subservient to the commercial purpose
uron which the enterprise financially
floats, II is for this reason that young
men are not usually taken into news
Paper Office except they are willing to
begin as news gatherers anl thus make
thorough understanding Of tho COM
mercial side of journalism the ground
work of their efficiency.
at will not probably be In my time,
young man, but the day is coming
when the editorial aud literary side OF
newspaper will be divorced from the
commercial That day Is not yet ar.
rived, aud the mOu who adyerlise3 Gnu
dies, pills and old junk in great jour
nal feels that the editor is morally re-
spopsiblc to him for his views on pol.
itcs, economies and education You
are young, and will probably live to
see The day when distinctively literary
bureaus, outside Of the newspaper
office, will furnish tho editorial and
literary miscellany Of the coming great
journal over responsible signatures
This will eYtricatG editorial integrity
from commercial pressure and make
the newspaper a power for good which
ii finds 1t hard to be at present.
/ felt that ! had caught Horace
Greeley in happy moments when his
great self was ready to come to the
surface. The fact that vas fresh